Chapter 83: Steady in the Atmosphere (First Update, Asking for Subscriptions)

"Master, find a nearby bus stop and let me off. I want to take the bus for a ride." Seeing the message Fang Ziye sent, Yuan Weihong did not reply immediately, but instead told the taxi driver this.

Yuan Weihong's mood right now was clearly exceptionally complex.

One could put it this way: if Fang Ziye were not his first student, then Fang Ziye going to Hand Surgery for better development would make Yuan Weihong happy for him.

But Fang Ziye is precisely his first student, and he could see him about to pursue a PhD and stay at the hospital, able to remain by his side, slowly cultivated, working together, building a research group...

Yet an accident suddenly intervened: a Hand Surgery professor said his student had high talent in Hand Surgery and wanted him to transfer there to develop, saying the chance of staying at the hospital was high.

Hand Surgery, in terms of professional precision, is higher than Trauma Surgery; therefore, when recruiting doctors within the department, technical skill carries more weight than research ability.

Compared to Trauma Surgery and other orthopedic subspecialties, Fang Ziye's current professional ability gives him a greater probability of staying at the hospital.

The taxi driver replied, "Boss, there's still a distance to the seaside. Shall I just drive you there directly?"

"It's fine, I want to feel the atmosphere of taking the bus. Thanks for the trouble, Master." Yuan Weihong's destination was not the seaside, nor was it taking the bus; he just wanted to relax a little.

"Alright then. About two kilometers ahead there's a bus stop. You take Bus Route X7, should also reach the seaside. You check the bus stop sign yourself; I don't necessarily remember exactly." Seeing Yuan Weihong insist, the driver felt this fare would end before even halfway.

But he didn't dare force the passenger to stay; after all, he considered Yuan Weihong's build and estimated he probably couldn't win if it really came to a fight.

After braking, Yuan Weihong looked at the bus once more, then replied to Fang Ziye: "What do you yourself plan to do?"

"Being able to gain the appreciation of the Hand Surgery old professor is no easy feat!"

Fang Ziye was sitting in the laboratory right now, completely lacking the mind to do experiments. Although the reserved operation time was approaching, he still dragged his feet again and again, just hoping to get his teacher's reply and guidance as soon as possible.

Seeing Fang Ziye show no sign of going to experiment and looking distracted, Luo Tingzhu asked: "Senior Brother Fang, your reserved Cell Room — will you use it first? If not, can I collect some cells first?"

"Then I'll immediately give you blue light irradiation disinfection. At most it only needs fifty minutes, then you can use it again."

Luo Tingzhu was already fully equipped: blue experimental operation gloves, a disposable surgical mask engraved with cute cartoon patterns, hair already tied in a ponytail. Now that she had finished her experimental planning, she was full of vigor.

Her mood was much more pleasant than before, no longer as lost as before.

"Okay, you go use it first. My experiment here isn't urgent for now."

"Oh, right, Tingzhu, help me check how much my cells have adhered?" Fang Ziye added.

How much they've adhered means roughly what percentage of the bottom of the culture dish the cells occupy — fifty percent, eighty percent, or one hundred percent.

Different degrees of confluence require different subsequent operations.

Giant Cell Tumor of Bone grows slightly slower than Osteosarcoma. If it's only seventy percent, it might need another two or three days of culture before further operation.

"OK, no problem. Thanks, Senior Brother." Luo Tingzhu didn't disturb Fang Ziye further and went toward the Cell Room to collect cells.

After Fang Ziye saw his teacher's reply, he discovered his fellow trainee Jie Han had also sent a message, roughly asking what happened on his end, because it seemed today after Professor Ni Yaoping found Yuan Weihong, Master's mood wasn't too good.

Fang Ziye didn't respond to Jie Han for the moment, but thought for a long time, then relatively meticulously edited a message to his teacher. A full ten-plus minutes passed before he edited out the following content, several hundred characters long —

He reviewed it once more, striving to express everything in one go.

"Master, actually this time the severed tail artery reanastomosis suturing result was relatively good, also beyond my expectations. I've never done corresponding operation practice before; it's just that recently my suturing technique has improved slightly, able to just barely suture skin jelly."

"Lan Tianluo and Junior Sister Tingzhu both witnessed this. Today, if Big Brother Yang Wenzheng hadn't had one person from our lab go help, and after failing several times, bestowed me a suturing opportunity, I would have been completely unaware. It's not that I didn't report progress to you, Master."

"My own consideration is: continuing to stay in Trauma Surgery is the optimal choice. There are several reasons. First, even if I can become Professor Ni Yaoping's doctoral student, staying in Trauma Surgery I can equally become Professor Deng Yong's doctoral student."

"In the current Trauma Surgery, I have two teachers looking after me, so in terms of subsequent development in Trauma Surgery, it will definitely be better than Hand Surgery. After all, horizontally inserting into an unfamiliar environment, even if one integrates into the atmosphere, for many people it becomes becoming competitors. This is the first point."

"Second, Master, it's not that I aim too high. Within Zhongnan Hospital's Orthopedics platform, Trauma Surgery's comprehensive ability in the whole province and even nationwide is relatively superior compared to Hand Surgery. The platform is higher, and with teachers and a mature team advantage, it is more beneficial for the ceiling one can reach later."

"Third, if I choose to continue staying in Trauma Surgery, Hand Surgery's Professor Ni won't think I don't understand human relations. But if I transfer midway and choose Hand Surgery, Professor Deng Yong might think I'm profit-driven."

"Naturally, choosing Hand Surgery also has its relative benefits. Master, you've already introduced them before."

"My own thought is still that staying in a relatively familiar environment is better, because I've already discussed PhD-pre and PhD-period research project planning with you, Master."

"I feel I still have a good chance to complete the early accumulation of clinical ability and research ability for hospital retention without relying on Hand Surgery as a springboard, and obtain a good job opportunity."

"And if I stay, with the more familiar environment, regarding applying for full scholarships to go abroad, perhaps Senior Brothers' hearts are already prepared. If I go to an unfamiliar environment instead, I'd need to yield to Senior Brothers."

"After all, just arriving means being a newcomer; it's not good to be too pushy."

"But the reason I want to discuss with you, Master, is you said PhD and job opportunities are both very hard to come by. Senior Brother Sun Shaoqing wants to stay at the hospital wholeheartedly, but his current opportunity is dim. Even several PhD Senior Brothers in Trauma Surgery wanting to stay at the hospital to work in Orthopedics don't have much chance."

"I have such an opportunity. If I recklessly give it up, it might also make you, Master, feel I'm careless, didn't take it to heart, and impulsively gave it up on a whim."

Facing a critical choice, Fang Ziye dared not decide alone.

Fang Ziye didn't even discuss with his parents first, because to his parents, whatever he chooses is correct. Since high school they've been unable to interfere much in his studies and choices, after all their cognition and ability are limited.

But Yuan Weihong is different. Though only a Master's supervisor in name.

Fang Ziye, having contacted basic experiments, knows that leaving other things aside, just the first-author Zone 1 basic SCI paper Yuan Weihong gave him is enough to earn the title "Master".

He's been hesitating in the lab this long, done so many experiments, but if the animal experiments were missing, these results of his wouldn't be enough to publish a Zone 1 SCI research article. The work done is still not enough.

From this one can know just how high the gold content of that paper is. Being able to compete with others' paper quantity based on the paper's gold content — this isn't faking.

After Fang Ziye clicked send, he then roughly replied to fellow trainee Jie Han, briefly explaining the current situation and predicament he faced.

Immediately after, Fang Ziye saw Jie Han continuously typing, then stopping, then continuously typing again.

In the end he only said: "Senior Brother, this opportunity is indeed very good, needs careful consideration. Currently medical students finding jobs isn't easy; job opportunities outweigh many things."

"Senior Brother, you consider it well, and discuss well with Master."

If it were only promising Fang Ziye a PhD opportunity, Jie Han would without hesitation say: "Are they fucking kidding? Wherever Fang Ziye does a PhD is a PhD."

But Hand Surgery promised a job opportunity, then this is worth deep consideration.

Because so far, Fang Ziye's accumulation is still insufficient to reach Trauma Surgery's hospital retention standard. Even Professor Deng Yong, as Trauma Surgery's Administrative Director, wouldn't promise Fang Ziye anything; he still needs Fang Ziye to slowly accumulate.

Zhongnan Hospital Orthopedics' annual recruitment quotas are very few. Five subspecialties — which subspecialty might retain people, which might not — opportunities are all equal.

Unless it's your subspecialty's Administrative Director, using a certain price, naming specifically who to retain. Then Orthopedics' Chief Director Professor Du Xinzhan would definitely give you that face. But the corresponding cost is: you might not be able to recruit new staff for five years, or even a very long time.

Such a loss is not small.

After all, it's you naming specifically who to retain, not equal opportunity where everyone struggles and games.

"Junior Brother congratulates Senior Brother, able to dominate in suturing technique. At the stage of just graduating Master's, already surpassing some Attending Physicians' suturing level." Jie Han sent the message, paired with a silly grin emoji.

Fang Ziye read it, and sent a fat cat emoji back to Jie Han.

Immediately after he shifted his buttocks, turned a direction, continued lying prostrate, waiting for Yuan Weihong's reply.

Yuan Weihong said, "As long as you yourself can think it through clearly and understand it, that's fine. The teacher respects your choice."

"Actually, to tell the truth, if speaking as a teacher, I should have you go to Hand Surgery for your doctorate. After all, Professor Ni Yaoping contacted me like this, so he definitely won't go back on his word."

"Job opportunities are the greatest future prospect that all accumulation during the master's and doctoral stages goes toward. All preoperative preparation is just so that when working, you can enter a relatively good platform."

"But as a Master, I also have a bit of selfish intent."

Yuan Weihong didn't say what the selfish intent was, but Fang Ziye had already understood.

The teacher corresponds to the student; the Master corresponds to the disciple, even the adopted disciple.

An adopted disciple is kept by one's side, slowly trained — doing scholarship, establishing rules, learning how to conduct oneself and handle affairs, all the proprieties.

"Master, then can you help me politely refuse Professor Ni? I feel a student going directly to refuse such a professor isn't too appropriate."

"Master, my choice has definitely been deeply considered. I've also communicated with you before, Master — my current basic experiment level is still middle-of-the-road."

"Thank you, Master, for leaving a quite substantial research fund for me and Fellow Trainee Jie Han. And currently, with my proficiency being not bad, in the cell experiment aspect, after finishing your research project's content, there's still a not-small sum left over."

"And, in the lab, when some Senior Brothers asked me to help do experiments, by borrowing reagents and such, I've actually already pushed the research depth of the project to the step of mRNA's regulation of HK2."

"Naturally, with the remaining funds still left, I might also be able to do the regulation of HK2 by Metformin, even its effect on mRNA, and the effect on HK2 levels through regulating mRNA — more or less can be done."

"Equivalent to: one share of funding, maximized utilization. This way, Master you also said, with these three relatively high-quality articles, plus that previous first-tier journal article, if all subsequent animal experiments are completed."

"Still can't get hospital retention, then we can only say we encountered an immortal. No way..." Fang Ziye teased at the end.

Yuan Weihong listened, the corner of his mouth finally curling in a smile, and replied, "You've been saving and saving our group's project funds all along. I thought you were saving the money for Luo Tingzhu to use."

"Master, Tingzhu is smart herself. She thought of prepared countermeasures early on. Where would she need our help? She hasn't even borrowed funds from our group."

"At most just occasionally borrowing a bit of reagent. In the lab, that's also very common. Borrowed but not returned, not much money either."

"Master, me doing this is also following your teaching — just do the pre-experiments and the current project's experimental depth deep, do it big, do it strong, do it to the key step, then it becomes the project proposal, as if just stating it directly."

"My project is almost done, just short of money. Give me the money, I can immediately finish the project, get top-notch experimental results, and the research depth and quality are also high enough..."

Choice settled, Fang Ziye and Yuan Weihong, the two of them, started chatting off and on.

Moreover, Fang Ziye and Yuan Weihong's chat content, while slightly humorous, naturally also skirted the line a bit.

Although everyone's proposals are written like this, to achieve what Fang Ziye did — before I even applied for the project, completely finishing the basic experiment part of the pre-application project, just not directly handing over the results to you, only to ask for money — people who play on the edge of risk like this are still very rare.

This requires extremely deep experimental foundation.

One money multiple uses requires you to very strictly control the experiment's success rate. Once controlled well, with an entrusted lab unit, a large enough team, it really can be done.

One project fund, doing two to three deep projects' full-process experiments.

Because all project funds are impossible to only give you one full-process experiment opportunity.

A certain error tolerance: within three to four times, if you can produce results, that counts as you being able to complete the project.

In this situation, the higher your result rate, the more you save money, and the more you can do more things. As long as you don't spend it on yourself, only use it for project research, it's definitely not a violation.

"This kind of talk, besides me, don't tell anyone. Not even to Jie Han. Hear me?" Yuan Weihong, while feeling his disciple was ruthless enough, strong enough.

Similarly, also heart-pounding with fear at Fang Ziye's boldness.

Using one project's money, equivalent to doing three projects' work, and it's finishing three projects' basic experiment parts, then holding part of the basic experiment data, going to damn well ask for money.

What is this behavior equivalent to? Buying a BMW car, holding the key fob to ask for money.

Look, I bought the key fob, you give me some money, let me go buy a BMW?

But actually, Fang Ziye himself already owns a BMW. He's taking this money to go buy a Lamborghini...

Naturally, this kind of approach can definitely make one's research group grow big and strong. Once more project funds are obtained, then Fang Ziye might advance the results of miRNA's effect on mRNA, then further process the results of the effect on HK2, and hold this to ask for more money.

This is very beneficial for the research group's thriving development.

This isn't something ordinary talent can do.

Most people, after getting funds, think about how to complete the project, how to publish articles. Who dares to play like Fang Ziye? One money multiple uses, then one use multiple gets, then get again use again...

"Master, rest assured. In a bit our chat records won't exist anymore." Fang Ziye implied.

"Just don't make your Master's friend disappear."

"This kind of thing, although good for the research group, and accountable to the country, but ultimately, it doesn't conform to the rules. Because we can achieve one-time success, other research groups not necessarily can, other people not necessarily can. Therefore it cannot be revealed on the surface or leaked out."

"Otherwise, the project fund special management department would be in a tough spot. Say they punish you — you did complete the task. Say they don't punish you — the money you ask for is a bit more than your expenses. That's hard to handle."

"Making others feel at ease is a sign of one's own maturity..." Yuan Weihong gave this instruction, and his mood also slowly calmed down.

Yuan Weihong truly didn't expect that after putting Fang Ziye into the lab, Fang Ziye would actually burst forth with this much energy and preparation.

(Chapter End)